Archive for August, 2010

I like watches, I have my share of Gshocks…I have the big face casual watch, I have the detailed see through watch that shows the gears and what not, I even have the suave black tie affair watch…but this. This is crazy. All I know is I want one.

The Nixie wont display the time until you tilt the watch to a predetermined angle.

Here is a vid of the Apple guy, Wozniak and his Nixie…

Pretty slick find, I have to credit one of my “brothers” for putting me on…so I put you on!

I went to link up with my homie Omid G. He is a talented producer, I took a trip out to Westchester to chop it up with him and record some new nuggets.

Omid in his lab.

Rob stopped thru...

Out of all of Omid's gadgets...this was the coolest to me.

We recorded and talked about the game…life…music. It was a dope session. I’d definitely go back…matter fact I have to go back because I left my headphones in his booth!!! Its a cool drive anyways, alot of scenic views. Brendon took video of the whole session, I just have to edit it. I will post that soon. Westchester is a nice ride though, its just harder when you get back to the city…

4pm...somewhere around 179th.

9:30...Chilltown, NJ

Video of the session and a sneak preview of the Omid G produced track featuring me, “We take what we want” coming soon!

If I keep it real with anyone, I keep it real with myself…I know when I first began my rap career i was easily influenced. I was just nice, real talented at an early age. These young rappers now couldn’t fuck wit “Lil’ Me”. I was too advanced, at the same time I was doin and talkin about things that I dont naturally stand for. Yet and still, regardless of the content…these songs are monster…so I’m gonna share’em wit yall.

“Hustler” prod. by Dirty Kleen (2002) *The Steel Curtain consisted of Me(F.A.M.E.), BizQuit & Dirty Kleen. This song gained so much buzz at our college that we got seriously PAID to open for Cam’ron and the Diplomats at Frostburg State University in Maryland. After that we released a short EP…soon we disbanded and went our separate ways musically, although we remain friends and Brothers.https://jerseyfame.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/01-hustla.mp3

I have hundreds more songs that come from early in my career, I’l share them with you guys periodically. I feel like now I’m in the greatest shape of my life lyrically…I just had to grow through all these zones. A lot of rappers still stuck in these zones…i evolved and grew.

Hating is getting played out. Actually its corny. If you can position yourself to wonder about someone elses success and how it is possible…then you can focus that same energy on yourself. That’s where it needs to be if you gonna make it out here, trust me these labels ain’t in no hurry to pay you to be good at rap. Game dont work like that. Make yourself…anyways, let me continue…

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been at shows and showcases(fuckery) full of rapperers and a small amount of listeners, (backwards I know) who only have energy for their friends and associates. When the other artists that they are not aware of perform, they give half hearted claps or talk over the performance, without even giving the person a chance.

I can understand the mindset, because I HAVE IT. The only difference is that, “I am not a hater.”

By respecting everyones music, you respect yourself. The biggest hurdle for any unsigned artist (if you want to be signed) is attracting that initial attention. Noone likes to be the first person to show up at a party, so you have to understand that these trendy neo hipsters will never be your “first” fan. Until someone else cosigns you or until someone becomes your fan first, they will pretend to be aloof to how dope your sound may be. This is life homey…don’t try to compensate by adopting that mind state. (I deal with it by collecting listeners, who later on become fans. Shooting for fans right away is hard, cus people dont have their own mind…they need to be told or shown what to like…thats why I love my listeners…and my readers!)

Hopefully, in the future you will be on tour and you will have to coexist with a number of artists, all diverse and from different genres…if thats the case, do you think its gonna be cool to front on them when their fans are bleeding over to your fanbase?

Nah…

So take it from someone who has performed at many Soho dives and underground “secret” cool places, that are supposed to be cutting edge. Its better to be cool than be a hater…

I remember performing at Sputnick in Brooklyn, and a certain skinny jean advocate saw me backstage and gave me the “what are you doing here” face…(with me its always an issue cus people know my music, and they know me. They just never know how I end up where they are, cus in their world, I aint supposed to be up on that…Bitch, I’m me!!…you gon’ learn)…I responded with the “I’ll slap the shit out of you face” AND STILL…extended my hand and offered peace and a good luck wish…thats how I roll. Hate is bad for the system.

As I performed dude tried his best to ignore my set in his attempt to be “cooler”..until the end where the audience response was undeniable and he had to clap like everyone else. Hypocrite…smh, don’t be that guy. Be your own person…stop hating and enjoy hip hop…if a dude is wack, let him rap. Me and a certain tastemaker have been known to chant “Let him rap!” belligerently at shows…everyone deserves their shine if they have the balls to step on stage…they may not get a second chance so let’em have their moment. Aight?…cool.

One time this rapper(not rapperer) said “I buy CD’s cus of Rap Karma…if I buy they shit…people gonna buy mine. If I’m willin to listen, I know people gonna listen to me.” I agree wit that idea to this day, especially if I have the patience to listen….I have been reapin the benefits of that because every time I check my numbers…I got a new listener every day. Thats love, not hate.

This is truly a huge moment! My first commercially available record! Shades @ Night is a P. Rahk production, I remember when he sent me the beat catalogue, I was like “That one!!!!”. I went into the lab and with the help of Ted Clayton I made this very powerful song! One of the standouts from the Hard+Work Album, this song is one of many bangers waiting to shine!!!!

To everyone who downloads and leaves a review on the itunes page, I have a Hi Res graphic for the song waiting for you. Just hit me up @MrBenFamous and let me know…I’ll email you right away!!!

The title track from the highly anticipated Mixtape “Cereal for Dinner”. Sadly, due to creative differences and delays this mixtape may never happen. However, this track is still here to remind you of the potential!

Probably one of my favorite songs to perform, its sad that this record may never see the light of day commercially due to issues with getting the instrumental cleared by the producer. This is like the milestone in my rap catalogue, since its when I began the Ben Famous transition. I love this track, in the right system its not even fair! Produced by Jicly on an MPC, this beat is dank with dark keys. Watch for the baseline…and the hook. Pow!https://jerseyfame.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/01-cereal-for-dinner-intro.mp3

I was like, 9 or 10 years old droolin’ on the display case in the Electronics Boutique all the way in the back corner of the mall. I remember playin Art of Fighting at the bowling alley and spending all my pocket money trying to beat the first dude (I was a kid, that game was waaay harder than Street Fighter).

Me and my friends would always talk about how crazy NEO GEO games were. When this became a home console, we all went crazy! That is, until we saw the pricetag.

The Neo Geo home system started at $700 and each game was $250.

No way I was getting it. I still remember all the dope games for it though:

King of the Monsters

Samurai Showdown

Best baseball game ever...Baseball Stars

I must have craved this thing for like 3 years and then Genesis came out. It was affordable on a birthday present budget so I got the hookup. It’s only now as an adult that I realize how dope NEO GEO was. I just don’t know why the price had to be so disrespectful…I mean STILL IS disrespectful.